The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1887-05-12
Washington Letter.


The event of the past week was the
visit to Washington of the Queen of
the Sandwich Islands and her suite.
All sorts of obsequious attentions were
paid to her majesty at the Capital of
OF this great Republic, for although
Kapiolani has the complexion of a
mulatto and the Egyptian cast feature,
she is a royal parsonage, and there
is only one way to treat visiting royal
ty in this country as well as in any
other.
The Queen first called at the White
House, and her visit was returned by
Mrs. Cleveland and the ladies of the
Cabinet in less than two hours, ac-
cording to the Royal etiquette, Then
followed good deal of sightseeing
around the city under the pilotage of a
committee of reception, a dinner at
the Hawaiian Legation, a review and
parade Of troops in her honor, q recep-
ton of masons at her hotel (King Kali
akaua, the Queens husband, is a
member of the fraternity a visit to
the circus, another to the races, trip
to the tomb of Washington on the U.
S. Despatch escorted by an imposing
company of foreign Diplomats and
representatives OF our own Govern
ment, and banquet at the White
House.
The conjunction of royalty and de-
mocracy was especially interesting as
presented at the State dinner. The
President of nearly sixty millions of
freemen led out the queen consort,
Kapiolani, of little more than sixty
thousand people, and sat at one end
of his official board with the dusky
hued Queen on his right and the dus-
ky princess accompanying her on his
left. For once, at least, since the be-
ginning of his Administration Mr..
Cleveland found himself fanked by
two women who could not talk back
to him. Neither of them had sufii-
cient command of English for gener-
al conversation. At the other end of
the table sat Mrs. Cleveland and Min
lister Carter, who represents the little
kingdom in the Pacific ocean to this
Government. Mrs. Cleveland laugh
ed gayly as she talked to her escort
and was evidently enjoying the Presi-
dents situation while she was conceal
ed from his view by large floral decora-
tions in the centre of the table.
The banquet was most elaborate
affair and in perfection of every detail
was thought to excel any entertain
ment given at the Executive Mansion
during Mr.. Cleveland's occupancy.
The State apartments were profusely
decorated with flowers, among which
the Hawaiian colors were prominent,
and the East Room surpassed the oc-
Casion Of the Presidents wedding, not
in number, perhaps, but in the selec-
ton of the flowers used
When visiting the Treasury Depart
ment Kapiolani was taken down into
the subterranean vaults where the
money is kept, and seemed to take a
deep interest in the loads OF gold and
silver stored away there. When told
how much money she stood in the
midst OF, she was filled with wonder.
She left the Capital delighted with her
visit, and thinking that this is great
people, and that they have a big Navy,
and immense dinners, and big tafy
mines and handsome Presidents
wives.
But let it be said of Hawaiia's Queen
that Notwithstanding the fact that
hers is only little kingdom and that
her skin is colored brown, royalty of
the highest degree could not have
deported itself with more becoming
lady-like grace than she exhibited dur
ing her visit to Washington. She
showed herself to be a woman OF good
sense and good manners She was
unobtrusive, modest, self-poised dig
Dified and even stately. Not speaking
English she was at a disadvantage,
but she was intelligent looking and
apparently quick-witted.
Probably the silliest of all the silly
stories that have been told of Secreta-
ry Lamar was that one to the effect
that he would not sattend the State
dinner given to the Queen of Sand
wich Island on account of her color.
1t seems ridiculous to take time to
contradict so preposterous report,
were it not for the fact that some peo-
pie might be just silly enough to be-
lieve it. The Secretary was confined
to his house by sickness at the time,
and his non-appearance at the White
House on the above mentioned occa-
sion was attributable to that cause
alone.
A Heightened Fight.